New ball is struggling Aussies' trump card

Disappointed coach Mickey Arthur has demanded Australia's pacemen learn from their day one mistakes and make the most of the second new-ball when the Brisbane rain clears on Sunday.

Not one ball was bowled on day two of the first Test at the Gabba but Arthur was still ruing a poor start by his attack which he rated too tentative and short against a top-notch South African top-order.

The Proteas will resume their first innings at 2-255 on Sunday with Hashim Amla (90 not out) and Jacques Kallis (84 not out) both eying centuries and the tourists looking for a 500-plus total.

James Pattinson was the only quick to taste success on a green Gabba track, curling back an inswinger to trap Graeme Smith leg before in the opening hour on Friday.

Arthur felt Australia's attack could still make in-roads into a middle-order missing injured No.7 JP Duminy but his quicks couldn't afford to repeat their day one execution.

"It probably wasn't good enough," he said. "I thought we got our lengths wrong. I think we needed to be a little bit fuller.

"We weren't as clinical as we have been or as we would hope to be.

"We weren't able to put South Africa under pressure for long enough.

"Maybe we were a little bit tentative and maybe we just wanted to get through that first session and see how it unfolded after that.

"We've still got the second new ball up our sleeve, that's the one trump we have. We have to make that second new ball work for us."

Saturday's wash-out was the first time in 14 years rain had prevented any play in a Test on Australian soil and the first time in 29 years at the Gabba.

Day two was abandoned 90 minutes before scheduled stumps and the only action for Australian players was serving at merchandise stands and signing autographs.

The tourists' opening-day dominance was badly tarnished by the loss of Duminy for the three-Test series after he ruptured his achilles tendon in a freak post-stumps training mishap.

The left-hander underwent surgery on Saturday morning and South Africa coach Gary Kirsten confirmed they would call for a replacement to join the tour party in the coming days.

South Africa A opener Dean Elgar, who has played five one-day internationals, is expected to be preferred ahead of former vice-captain Ashwell Prince.

Former Proteas coach Arthur described Duminy's injury - which will sideline him for six months - as a "tragedy".

"He's an unbelievably talented cricketer," he said.

"I feel really sorry for him and my thoughts go out to JP."

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